Remembrance

by SJ Moquin

  It was midway through the morning when they reached the area of forest marked on the map. Large, leafy ferns filled most of the space between the giant coniferous trees. Brightly hued flowers and vines grew in abundance, adding their sweet fragrance to the beauty of the spot. Everything was large, bright, and fragrant. Paradise, she thought.

  Companion or not, she was glad she’d been chosen for this excursion. She made notes on the flowers around them and the many different butterflies drinking their nectar. Some of the large flying insects were the size of her palm while many were smaller, closer to the size she’d seen in the archive projections they’d been forced to watch about their home world, Earth, as children. Holding up the plex, she snapped a few pictures of the flora when she noticed a tree trunk covered in azure butterflies. A few quick swipes captured the image as she marked the region on the map for future inspection by one of the teams.

  A strange look crossed Raiden’s face as she looked up, but it was quickly replaced as they moved on, pushing past limbs and trees. After a few more minutes she paused and looked around. They should have reached the specimen by now, but she saw nothing resembling the air plants pictured on her plex. She scanned the notes again before glancing around.

  “What’s wrong?” Raiden asked with a quiet tone she wasn’t used to hearing from the loud, outspoken boy he’d been before… when they were kids together.

  “It should be here. The plant. It’s about this big.” She pinched her fingers together. “And may or may not be flowering.”

  “How are you supposed to find something that small in all this?”

  She wanted to agree with his frustration but held her tongue, choosing to shrug as she turned in a circle once more. Looking up at the large tree in front of her, she almost turned away when a flash of pink caught her eye up in the limbs. Squinting against the glare from the sun slowly making its way directly overhead, she pointed.

  “What does that look like to you?”

  Raiden followed her narrow finger, squinting as she had before pulling a pair of field binoculars from his pack. He looked through them at the thing in question before passing them to her. There, sitting on a high limb, was the plant she’d been searching for. A quick scan of the area around them through the binoculars showed several other plants, but all just as equally out of reach. Sighing, she passed the field glasses back to the man still staring at the trees and began pulling out rope and hooks from the pack on her back.

  “What are you doing?”

  “What’s it look like? I’m about to climb up and retrieve the specimen?”

  “Uh, no. I will.”

  “You’re not the scientist here.”

  “Neither are you the last time I checked.”

  Gwelle narrowed her eyes at the boy who’d just insulted her. Who did he think he was ordering her about? Turning her back, she continued rigging her ropes so she could climb to the nearest limb about five times her height. From there, she’d easily scoot limb to limb to collect the few specimens requested.

  “You were always so stubborn.”

  Gwelle cast him a hateful look over one shoulder, but the sight of his hands running through his messy ebony locks softened the glower. She couldn’t help the pang of guilt eating at her. She and Raiden had been close at one time. Friends. Best friends, some might say, with her heart clearly hungering for more. Then it changed, and she’d pushed him away. She had to, she reminded herself sternly.

  “I’ll be back down in a moment,” she said softly in way of explanation, and hopefully soothing things over as well.

  One look into those green eyes let her know he was still concerned. The need to prove herself burned inside her stronger than before. She’d waited too long for this opportunity to let Raiden’s misplaced male pride ruin the moment. A few minutes later found her hoisted high above the ground as she’d pulled herself up. Raiden had offered to hold the end of the rope once she’d successfully tossed it over the lowest limb, but she’d declined.

  Now with one end clamped around her waist, she was straddling the limb. Scooting towards the trunk, she stood, feeling the limb sway a bit as she reached for the one above her. After a few moments, she found her rhythm, swinging herself up limb to limb with a tune on her lips. She soon reached the air plants growing on the trunk high off the forest floor.

  Her fingers twitched as she reached up, gently prying the unusual little plant from the bark. Its mossy green leaves sheltered a bright pink bud which hadn’t flowered yet. She placed it in the bag across her shoulders, reaching for the next and the next, singing to herself as she worked. Half an hour later she was tiptoeing on a higher branch, reaching for the last one. Green surrounded her, up here above the world. She could almost imagine how their home world looked hundreds of years before the survivors fled. She’d seen the ancient archives. The blurred images from centuries ago drilled in them from the time they began schooling so they wouldn’t forget. Forget what she’d asked once. Forget who she was, her teacher had responded. She didn’t understand then. Being honest, she hadn’t understood truly until this moment peering into green branches pressed in around her. But now she did.

  The ebony-haired girl drew a shaky breath. She knew now what her teachers had meant for them to do with the history. Remember. If they remembered, if she remembered, Earth would never die. A smile framed her lips at the revelation. She sensed the connection to their new world, Varax, in the task she performed unlike anything that’d come in the previous year, more than volunteering on the construction crews or helping at the clinic, more than entering data in the lab. She’d found the task she was created for, she thought, with giddy excitement.

  She’d just pried the small flowering air plant loose, grasping it carefully in her hands, when tingles ran up her spine. She heard the creak of a branch near her, but no wind blew through the trees. It was warm and stifling up here. Her dark brown eyes scanned the limbs, thoughts of the large wild cats they’d heard roar filling her mind. A shimmer of light reflected in the branches of the next tree, like a mirage. She tilted her head in confusion, reaching to steady herself on the branch above her. For an instant, two eyes blinked at her from the center of the strange light. Gwelle jerked, her fingers reaching for the limb above but missing. Its rough bark grazed the tips just before she slipped, falling fast and hard.

  She vaguely remembered bouncing against a limb or two before the rope at her waist jerked her to a stop. Gwelle hung there, suspended between sky and ground, not moving except for the gentle spinning of the rope. Her arms and legs dangled lifeless before feeling rushed back to them. Gasping, pain flooded her body. Her head and back ached where she’d hit the branches on the way down. The rope dug into her waist when it halted her free fall, burning her with its roughness.

  “Gwelle. Gwelle.”

  The voice calling her name sounded familiar. It was warm, safe. Full of concern. If only she could reach the voice, she’d feel safe again. Then memories flooded back over her, reminding her where she was and who was screaming for her. She grabbed the rope and pulled herself upright, dangling a moment before lowering herself despite the protests of her muscles which screamed in pain with every movement. She felt Raiden’s firm hands supporting her as soon as she was within reach. For a moment, a brief moment, she let herself relax as he helped her out of the ropes, lowering her onto the ground.

  “Are you alright?”

  She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. There was too much confusion, too many emotions flowing through her for words. She didn’t trust herself not to say something she’d regret. His warm fingers traced her brow, gently probing her head and temple. She winced as sharp pain shot through her head despite his gentleness.

  “What happened?”

  “I slipped.”

  She wouldn’t tell him what she’d seen. No, what she’d imagined. She wouldn’t have her first official expedition clouded by whispers she couldn’t handle going OTG. This land was wild and new. Many of the colonists refused t
o venture past the gate even with an armed escort, choosing rather to work inside the confines of Nova-Zera day in and day out. She wouldn’t be joining their ranks, willingly or unwillingly. What she imagined she’d seen stayed with her.

  Looking up into Raiden’s eyes, she read concern but something else as well. Doubt. She’d have to do some convincing on their ride back unless she wanted to kiss her chances of field scientist goodbye. The real question here wasn’t whether he believed her. No. It was much worse. She questioned whether she believed herself, and that scared her more than wild animals or the handsome man still fussing over her.

  Chapter Four

  Life as Usual

  Gwelle slapped Raiden’s hands away and pushed herself off the ground. She ached. Everywhere. She put weight on her legs. Nothing broken. She’d have some nasty bruises, though. She hobbled over to where the last specimen lay on the ground, looking no worse for its fall through the tree. Once the five small containers carrying the plants were tucked back into her pack, she glanced to where Raiden stood, mouth hanging open.

  “What?” she snapped harsher than she intended.

  Raiden’s face closed up faster than she could blink. Where softness and confusion had just shone, now anger and stubbornness played across his expressive features. “That’s it? You’re just going to dust yourself off and act like nothing happened?”

  “I slipp…”

  “You slipped! I know. You said that already.”

  Gwelle crossed her arms over her chest hiding the wince that wanted to escape at the action. The tall boy mimicked her stance in a standoff, both staring the other down. Had they really been best friends? It seemed like a lifetime ago they’d ran the corridors of Deliverance together. Whether he sensed her train of thought or simply didn’t feel like fighting she didn’t know, but he shrugged, dropping the subject and reached for her pack.

  “We better get back to the rover.”

  Gwelle wanted to argue she could carry her own pack, if only simply for the sake of not owing Raiden anything. But she didn’t. It took everything to keep her thoughts off the pain lacing its way up her ankle, spreading through her leg. She’d hit it worse than she thought and was already trying to formulate a plan to distract her mother from asking any questions about the scratches and bruises forming. If Nia Airda knew she’d tumbled from a tree on her first solo expi, Gwelle could wave goodbye to ever going on another. The woman would wrap her in padding and fluff and lock her inside the house if she could. Well, maybe not lock her in. That was a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much, she thought to herself.

  Raiden’s jaw still clenched, the muscles in his neck bulging as they walked up on the rover some time later. Well, he walked, she shuffled-hobbled like a three-legged house cat chasing a mouse. The tall dark-haired soldier loaded the packs in the back, slamming the hatch much too hard for it not to be intentional. She ignored him as she made her way around to her side. A shadow passed over as she lowered herself as casually as possible in the seat. Looking up, she caught the flicker of concern on her former friend’s face before a scowl replaced it. Kneeling in front of her, he lifted her injured foot. A sharp hiss of pain escaped as she unsuccessfully tried pulling her foot away from his firm grasp.

  “Just relax, Gwelle,” he commanded.

  His deep voice washed away any complaints leaving her mouth. She bit her lip as he unlaced her boot and pulled down her sock over the now swollen ankle. Without uttering a word of reprimand, he pulled a small metal canister from one of the many pockets on his black pants, shook it, then sprayed its contents on her bruised, swollen appendage. The mist was cold but soothing, instantly removing the pain. An unwanted sigh escaped at the relief. One corner of his mouth turned up at the sound, but he said nothing. Brushing her hair away from the side of her face, he covered the bruise on her brow and the scrape on her chin before putting it back in his pocket.

  “Thank you,” she mumbled, watching as the bruising faded and the swelling decreased almost instantly in her ankle.

  “I’d use more on your other... but...” Raiden’s words trailed off as he gestured to the other bruises and scrapes down her arms.

  “It’s alright. I understand.” Her words were softer now that he’d shown the act of kindness. The spray was a rarity only used in emergencies. She knew the protectors carried a small amount as part of their gear, but with how long it took to process, she was shocked he’d so generously used his on her. Not even her mother would have treated scrapes and bruises with it had she gone to the clinic.

  The man Raiden had become over the past two and half years was a mystery. He was as much of a mystery to her as the teasing boy had been an open book during their childhood. She fumbled, pulling her boot back on as he started the rover and began their journey home. It wasn’t until they pulled through the gates that she realized she’d enjoyed the outing with him. The surprise revelation shocked her as she exited the vehicle, grabbed her pack, and hurried away, leaving him staring after her.

  She couldn’t let herself read anything into his actions, nor her thoughts afterwards. After all, as soon as he turned in his report, she wouldn’t have to worry about more expis or former friends leading them for quite a while. But was that all he’d been? A small voice teased inside her, causing her heart to race, remembering the way his green eyes seemed to glow as he hovered over her today, making sure she wasn’t injured after the fall.

  She waited the entire next day for word to filter down to Wyn Maxon about her outing. She turned in a report consisting only of what she deemed pertinent information. The distance, location, size and shape of the specimens, but no frivolities like imagining an invisible—whatever it was—in the trees or the aftermath of that imagining, like falling from a tree tall enough to kill you on impact. Tiny details. That’s what they were, she thought as she busied herself with logging the results of her expedition.

  But word didn’t come. Chief Maxon only nodded to her in passing or asked how her mother was. Three days later, she relaxed and actually started enjoying her work. The tiny plants were unique, while similar to Tillandsia in their database from Earth, there were distinct differences. It was a completely new species! Throwing herself into studying the new plant, the next few weeks passed before she knew it. She hadn’t ventured beyond the gates again, but somehow, it hadn’t bothered her while she’d been absorbed in studying the air plants.

  On one of her days off a few weeks after her expedition, Gwelle found herself walking through the large open-air market. Vivid yellow and purple fabrics waved in the wind over the din of colonists bartering. Fragrant sweet breads and ripe fruits filled the stalls. What had started as a swap meet a few times a month grew, morphed, and now was the thriving heartbeat of Nova-Zera.

  This was the place to go for everything from hard-to-find tech to native produce. Stalls of brightly woven dresses and tunics caught her eye, pausing as she fingered the brightly dyed materials. There were deep purples from the yaru root and bright yellows from the giant sottia flower. It reminded her of the small crocuses grown in the greenhouse aboard Deliverance. Instead of dainty and delicate, this flower easily grew to the size of a dinner plate. And abundant. They grew everywhere throughout the forest lands. No wonder most buildings were a bright yellow from the flower pigments extracted to make dyes and paints. Pride welled up in her at the resourcefulness of her fellow colonists. Everyone pitched in where needed, put their expertise to work at making life better for all, and worked together.

  “Oh! That’s pretty. You going to buy it?”

  Gwelle turned to find Lark walking up, her arms full of satchels having obviously just finished shopping for produce.

  “No. Not today. I’ve already used all my extra credits this month and have nothing to trade.” Gwelle smiled at the stall keeper, walking off with her friend. They wove in and out of stalls a bit longer before pausing in front of one selling refurbed tech gadgets. She fingered an old emplay.

  “I still don’t know what you se
e in that old music,” Lark said as she turned over the small music player. “I mean, it’s not even modern or even from our grandparents’ days. This is ancient.”

  Lark wrinkled her button nose causing Gwelle to laugh as she laid the tiny black box back down. Until she got a few more credits, she would just make do with the few she had at home. She was always looking for songs she hadn’t heard. Her favorites ended up being from the pre-expansion period, mid to late twentieth century, a good two hundred years before the survivors left Earth.

  “It’s different. It transports me to another time and place,” Gwelle explained, not for the first time on the subject. The girls linked arms, deciding to agree to disagree.

  “You should come with me tonight. Bayard’s is having live music,” Lark invited as a peace offering.

  It was Gwelle’s turn to scrunch up her face. The bands Bayard got to play at his pub slash only café in Nova-Zera could hardly be called musicians, but she thanked Lark for thinking of her. She’d promised her mom a quiet night at home anyway. With the crazy hours her mom kept or was on call, it was rare they were both home at the same time for long periods, which reminded her of the reason she’d stopped by the market in the first place. She wanted to find her mom’s favorite fruit to serve with dinner.

  Dragging Lark to a stall displaying lots of native fruits, she picked over the durangoes until finding a bright purple one that felt ripe. Dark hair caught Gwelle’s eye across the marketplace. She didn’t realize she was staring until the fruit in her hand slipped and her best friend giggled.

  “Who is he talking to?” Lark asked.

  “I don’t know. I’ve never seen her,” she said, taking in the dainty blonde who looked about their age.

  “Maybe it’s someone from Endeavor.”

  “Could be.” The words drawled as Gwelle scrunched her brows, taking in the newcomer. Several families from the second ship had joined the settlement over the past few weeks, with more waiting for clearance on the ship orbiting Varax. Word was they would all be on the surface within the couple weeks. The girl looked thin, petite, possibly malnourished, just like the others who had arrived so far. She watched Raiden point in a direction while the girl nodded. She felt Lark’s elbow in her ribs.